Political Correctness: Tyranny of the Mind

In a letter to Dr. Benjamin Rush, dated September 23, 1800, Thomas Jefferson wrote, “I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.” By any definition that Jefferson could have envisioned, today’s political correctness can only be regarded as “tyranny over the mind of man.” Forget freedom of association, freedom of expression, freedom of speech, or freedom of privacy, political correctness demands that we don’t even have freedom of thought or opinion.

If one does not have the freedom to live in good conscience with his own sense of morality, he or she is indeed the most enslaved of creatures. Listen to Jefferson again, “To compel a man to furnish funds for the propagation of ideas he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.”

Forcing men to pay taxes “for the propagation of ideas he disbelieves and abhors” is indeed sinful and tyrannical enough. But to compel a man to actively participate in ideas he disbelieves and abhors is even more so. And, that, my friends, is exactly what modern political correctness forces us to do–or at least tries to force us to do. Political correctness attempts to strip us of our own sense of right and wrong. It is not only tyranny of conduct and behavior; it is tyranny of the mind and heart.

For example, if someone says something critical of Israel, they are labeled “anti-Semitic.” If they say something critical of the homosexual lifestyle, they are labeled “anti-gay.” If they say something critical of the practices and policies of our politicians, they are labeled “anti-government.” And if they say something critical of Roman theology, they are labeled “anti-Catholic.”

There are only two things that it is politically correct to be “anti” about: it is perfectly acceptable to be “anti-Christian” or “anti-Muslim.” Not only is it politically correct to be “anti-Christian” or “anti-Muslim,” it is all but required that one be “anti-Christian” or “anti-Muslim.” One risks personal friendship and professional employment if he or she is not “anti-Christian” or “anti-Muslim.”

For the record, I am none of the above. I am not anti-Semitic; I am not anti-gay; I am not anti-government; I am not anti-Catholic; I am not anti-Christian; and I am not anti-Muslim. About the only thing I am “anti” is this: I am “anti-tyranny.”

And tyranny can come in many shapes and forms. There are tyrannical Jews, tyrannical homosexuals, tyrannical politicians, tyrannical Catholics, tyrannical Muslims, and tyrannical Christians. Because there are those from any of the above groups who are tyrannical doesn’t mean that everyone in those groups is tyrannical. When I resist the act of tyranny by someone–or a group of someones–of a certain label doesn’t mean I am “anti” everyone who wears that same label.

But I absolutely will not be intimidated by name-calling when I resist what is obviously an act of tyranny, regardless of the label the tyrant wraps himself in.

To illustrate: I firmly believe that God has established marriage as being between a man and a woman. That does not mean I am against homosexuals having the same civil rights as everyone else, because I believe that ALL Americans enjoy the same protections under the Bill of Rights. Accordingly, all Americans have the right to enter into civil contracts with one another. But civil union is not the same as Holy Matrimony, which can be–and has been–defined only by our Creator. Marriage is defined by both divine and Natural Law.

Any attempt to force me to participate in a so-called “marriage” between same sex couples violates my moral conscience and is, by definition, an act of tyranny. And by Nature, I cannot submit to such an act. I cannot and will not.

I wonder what all of the good Romans 13 pastors across America are going to do as civil authorities attempt to force them to “marry” same sex couples. This has already happened in one Idaho city. The city of Coeur d’Alene is threatening to incarcerate and heavily fine ministers and others who refuse to officiate over the marriage ceremonies of same sex couples. And as homosexual “marriage” becomes more and more vogue, Christian ministers across the country are going to be forced to come face to face with their own religious convictions–something many of them have not done for quite a spell. What will they do?

We know what many, if not most, of them will do. They will comply. They are like the pastors of Nazi Germany who taught their flocks to obey the government no matter what and who justified their cowardice and heresy with the misinterpretation of Romans 13. This is the same misinterpretation of that chapter that pastors are regurgitating today.

I highly encourage every reader who attends church to make a point of asking your pastor this Sunday what he will do when the civil authorities of his city or State demand that he marry same sex couples, because this demand is surely coming. Of course, how the pastor responds will then collapse a heavy weight of responsibility on the shoulders of parishioners won’t it (which is why many Christians will simply not bother to even broach the topic with their pastor)?

Do you see how political correctness has become tyrannical? Political correctness demands that we accept a Police State in the name of the “war on terror.” Political correctness demands that we say nothing critical of the state of Israel, even when it attacks a U.S. naval vessel and kills dozens of American sailors and Marines. Political correctness demands that we fight unconstitutional wars of aggression against Muslim people who have committed NO act of aggression against us. Political correctness demands that we dare not criticize neocon foreign policy in Washington, D.C. Political correctness demands that Christianity be held up to every form of ridicule and mockery. And now political correctness demands that people violate their own deeply-held religious and moral convictions. Thomas Jefferson and the rest of America’s founders must be turning over in their graves.

Concerning marriage specifically, in my opinion the state has absolutely no authority or responsibility defining, regulating, or controlling marriage. The state had little or no authority regarding marriage until the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. For the church to allow itself be joined to the state is the unholiest of unions.

This latest attempt of civil authorities to define and regulate marriage should serve notice to everyone, especially Christians, that it is probably time to completely abandon civil marriages altogether and take it back to the individuals, families, and churches, where it rightly has always belonged.

Political correctness is not merely an expression of opinion: it is the denial of anyone else to hold a differing opinion–or even personally-held moral and religious convictions. It is exactly what Thomas Jefferson detested and personally opposed: it is “tyranny over the mind of man.”

P.S. As I noted last week, on Sunday, April 19 of this year, I delivered the famous sermon of Pastor Jonas Clark that was originally delivered on April 19, 1776, on the occasion of the first anniversary of the Battle of Lexington. Pastor Clark was the pastor of the men who fought that historic battle, which began America’s War for Independence. Obviously, this message was delivered just a couple of months before our Declaration of Independence was signed. I preached this message word-for-word. And I tried to deliver it with the same zeal and passion in which it was originally preached.

The vast majority of today’s Christians NEVER hear a message that remotely resembles the kind of sermons that the pastors of Colonial America delivered. And since April 19 fell on Sunday this year, I delivered Jonas Clark’s powerful message regarding the Battle of Lexington and American liberty so people could listen to the kind of preaching that Christians in Colonial America heard routinely. Pastor Clark entitled his message, “The Fate of Blood-Thirsty Oppressors and God’s Tender Care of His Distressed People.”

My delivery of this awesome message is on DVD. I offer this DVD to my readers in the hope that many of you will purchase copies of the DVD and let your friends, relatives, fellow Christians, pastor, etc., hear true Colonial American preaching. Again, this is word-for-word the message of Jonas Clark delivered on April 19, 1776, concerning the Battle of Lexington Green and America’s fight for liberty.

I have never heard anyone deliver Rev. Clark’s famous message. As far as I know, this is the only verbatim recording of this historic message in existence–preached with the same kind of passion and fervor as it was said Pastor Clark delivered it.

Chuck Baldwin is the founder of Crossroad Baptist Church, in Pensacola, Florida. Baldwin was a leader in the moral majority, is a radio talk show host, columnist and author. In 2004, he ran as a vice-presidential candidate alongside Michael Peroutka under the banner of the Constitution Party. In 2008, he ran as the Constitution Party's presidential candidate. In 2010, he and his entire family and extended family (5 heads of households & 18 family members in all) moved to the Flathead Valley of Montana. In January, 2011, the family started a new church, which is named LIBERTY FELLOWSHIP.

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